In some cases it is desirable to aromatize a food package in order to increase the smell of freshness and to stress the uniqueness of the food product so that the consumer's appetite will be whetted on smelling the aroma or fragrance. In some cases it is desirable to aromatize headspace of a food package, so that, on opening the package, the consumer will smell the aroma.
A system for aromatizing a headspace of a food package is disclosed in European patent 0 706 944. For an injection into a headspace of a food package of aroma dissolved in a liquid gas, the liquid gas and aroma must be dispensed e.g. by means of a spraying nozzle as described in the above-cited patent or by means of a dispenser for aroma gas.
Another system for aromatizing a headspace of a food package is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,640. In this system, a noble or inert gas such as Argon may be aromatized and used for introducing an aroma into the headspace of a food package to impart a desirable aroma and increase the smell of freshness on opening the package. The system allows for a direct mixing of the aromatized inert gas with gases used for modifying atmosphere such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen or mixtures thereof. The mixing can be done with a gas mixer in a pre-selected proportion. The mixed aromatized food-acceptable inert gas and the modified atmosphere is then injected into food packages using commercially available gas packing machines. The aroma used is soluble or mixable in gaseous food-acceptable inert gas.
Although the above-discussed systems provide many advantages, for certain types of food products the coexistence with certain types of aroma is less appropriate. In such instances there may be a risk that the food product absorb the aroma in a few days and almost no aroma will be represented in the headspace. A reason for this is that the aroma may interact with the food matrix and develop off-flavors, undergo oxidation or be absorbed by the matrix.
This is a problem that occurs when a product is stored refrigerated or is kept frozen for an extended period of time. Freezing the above types of aroma with the product results in complex food-matrix interactions that reduce the aroma in the package.
Furthermore, the heating of the above described food packages generally cannot be done without influencing the aroma generation due to the interaction of the heated aroma and heated food product.
European patent application 97/201578.8 provides an alternative to the above. It concerns a food package comprising a first cavity with a food product and a second cavity with food-acceptable aroma. The first and second cavity being separately sealed by a cover which when removed opens both cavities.